


The Summoner

by TriciaJM18



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cute, F/M, Jealousy, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:20:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25069831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriciaJM18/pseuds/TriciaJM18
Summary: The summoner, Kiran, is from our world. Her goal has been to save heroes from their fate by taking them to Askr, where battles never end in a permanent death, and she suspects that time stands still. She finally has enough orbs to attempt to summon one of her most sought after heroes, Claude Von Reigan. Life in her new world becomes more complex than she once believed it could be, and she's not quite sure if she's up for it.
Relationships: Claude von Riegan/Summoner | Eclat | Kiran, Reyson/Summoner | Eclat | Kiran
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

"Another failed summon," She thought. Kiran had used the rest of her orb draws for the day. She turned her back on the altar, the dulled-silver orbs scattered on the ground. “Hey we’ll try again tomorrow. The alignment is still right for another week. We have time!” Shareen’s cheerful attitude coaxed a slight smile from Kiran’s face.  
“You’re right,” She said, tugging her hood over her head. “Don’t wait up for me though. I’m taking some of the heroes on a supply run.”  
Shareen’s smile dropped slightly and concern rumbled her eyebrow. “Don’t overwork yourself. Alfonse and I would never get over it if you didn’t come back.”  
Kiran placed her hand on Shareen’s shoulder and squeezed it slightly as she walked past. “I could never leave you two, don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. Before you even know it.”  
The summoner made her way down the stairs from the altar and then through camp, clutching her weapon, internally yelling at herself. "This damn thing is as useless in summoning right now as it is in battle. I didn’t come all this way to not see him again. This game. The one where I can save everyone. If only I can get them here."  
“Kiran! Going out again for more orbs? Do you still need a healer?” Fjorm stood up from watering the flower bed, straightening her bridal gown.  
Kiran smiled at the young woman. “Of course; you know you’re always my top choice for my parties.”  
“Lovely! I’ve just finished here. I’ll fetch Valha and get ready to fly.” Fjorm turned to the stables and left.  
Kiran made her way further along the main road, towards the cabins. The castle had fallen into disrepair after several battles, and they’d since moved their army to the surrounding areas. Before the castle had even begun collapsing, they had expanded their living quarters to the outside in the form of several large cabins. They still had remnants of the castle, like the wall that surrounded them, and the library and mess hall. The buildings stood more disjointed, around the inner barracks. The summoning altar sat on the hill, overlooking the lake. Kiran sighed, looking back at its stone form in the distance. Turning back, she made her way to barracks.  
She stopped at the log cabin with a red sword painted on the door. “Knock knock,” she said, opening the door to reveal multiple bunk beds and various furniture. “Altina? You there? Hey, need you for another run.”  
The purple haired woman peeked out from behind a bookshelf. “Of course. I shall grab my blades and meet you at the stables.”  
“Thanks. See you in ten.” Now to get Reyson and Ephraim. They’re probably sparring. Kiran started back towards the north end of camp, to the training grounds.  
The sun was beginning to drip down below the hills to her right, the golden rays touching over the valley. No matter how much time she had spent in this world, it still took her breath away.  
Turning her attention back to her task, she strode towards the training field. There, she saw a young man with blue hair and a lance demonstrating a parry to the two observers. One man had lavender hair and was smiling, gesturing to the tall blonde. It looks like he’s explaining the move to Reyson. Kiran smiled and thought to herself. "Poor thing. I know he grows tired of beorc combat. He’s sweet to keep listening. I’m sure Leon appreciates his attention. Ephraim’s his favorite subject, after all."  
She opened the fence to enter the grounds. “You boys ready for a real-time lesson?”  
Reyson smiled brightly, a small sigh of relief escaping his mouth. “Kiran. Excellent timing. I’d be honored.”  
Ephraim held his lance straight up at his side, Leon close behind him. “We’re always happy to help you, summoner.” The two bowed slightly, in sync.  
“No,” Kiran put her hand on Ephraim’s shoulder. “No need for that. I’ve told you before, I’m just part of the army like you guys. Don’t be so formal. We’re friends, aren’t we?” A blush sprung across the young man’s cheeks.  
“O-of course.” He stuttered. “Let us make our way to battle. Where will we be heading today?”  
She smiled at his expression. "I hope he gets more used to me," she thought to herself. "Though it is really cute to see him this flustered." If there was anything Kiran regretted about coming to this world, it’s that she hadn’t taken the time to play the older games. She would have loved to have seen Ephraim’s journey in his original story. She knew some from this world, but to see the whole thing? Play it? Completely different experience. She knew from his alternate forms that it would have been worth it. He would grow into a successful and beloved king. It wasn’t hard to see how, given his younger self.  
“We’ll head to the stables first. The girls are probably already ready to go.” Kiran turned, the party following behind her.  
As they approached, Fjorm and Altina rode in on pegasi and waved at them. “It’ll probably be easier if we fly there,” Kiran continued speaking. “You alright with taking passengers?” She asked the two fliers.  
“I’d be delighted. Lord Ephraim, shall you ride with me?” Fjorm held her hand out to the young man, who blushed in response.  
“Of course, lady Fjorm. It would be my pleasure.” Ephraim climbed onto her pegasus behind her, his hands resting uncomfortably on his thighs.  
“Here. You don’t want to slip off when we ride.” Fjorm reached her hands behind her and pulled his arms to her waist. Ephraim’s face flushed crimson.  
“Leon?” Altina sat atop a winged unicorn, her arm outstretched to the lord’s companion. He, at least, had grown used to flying behind her and was not as flustered as his prince, and readily climbed behind her.  
Kiran looked up at the white prince, Reyson. He stood at least a foot taller than her, his blond hair flowing around his delicately featured face and past his waist. He held his hand towards the summoner. “Ready to fly?” His wings unfurled behind him, the feathers tousling in the wind. Kiran almost blushed at his beauty.  
“Absolutely.” She placed her hand in his, his skin soft under her fingers.  
He gently pulled her closer. “Here, um. It’ll probably be steadier if we do it this way.” He grabbed her other hand in his, and her hood fell backwards as she looked up at him. “Stand on my feet, and uh wrap your arms around me when we go up. Where are we heading anyways?”  
“Okay. Good thinking.” Kiran ignored her stomach flipping at being so close to him. “There are some faceless in the mountains to the East. Should get us a little experience, plus they won’t be trying to give us trouble later tonight. The watch would have caught them, I’m sure, but I’m dying to get a good fight in before bedtime.” Internally, she continued "trying to get some orbs before bedtime."  
“Sounds good,” Fjorm said from her steed. “Hang on tight.” Fjorm’s pegasus lifted into the sky with Altina’s.  
“Let us go. Hang on,” Reyson pulled Kiran’s hands around his waist and he circled her in his arms. Kiran’s stomach sank as they lifted from the ground, and she gripped him tightly as they flew over the mountains.  
They reached the forest quickly, and the battle itself was fairly standard. Kiran directed her companions almost thoughtlessly to defeat the faceless. "How funny that these filler battles just end up being from the different games," she thought. After the battle, the summoner spotted an orb on the ground where the boss had stood. Heading towards it, her companions began to come in from their battle positions. She spotted Reyson’s heron form coming in from the trees. As he got closer to the ground, his form glowed and shifted until he was a young man next to her. “That was exciting. I do feel a little more robust now. Will you be doing more summons tonight, Kiran?”  
“I may have enough for one more now. I appreciate you all coming, but we should get to bed when we return.” She hated the idea of them feeling like they had to stay up while she tried again. She didn’t need an audience for her disappointment. The usual summoning after supper had already been draining.  
“Of course milad- um Kiran.” Ephraim said. He climbed onto Fjorm’s pegasus and they lifted into the sky.  
The summoner tucked the orb into her bag and pulled her cloak tighter against the chilling night. “Thank you especially, Reyson,” She said, turning towards the young laguz. “I know that battle can be particularly wearing on you, so I appreciate you coming so often.”  
“The chaos can be overwhelming at times, but you always make it less so than it ever was before, in my world.” Reyson stepped closer to her, his long hair moved in the wind, tickling her arms. Kiran shivered, gooseflesh covering her body. “I’m sorry, we should go home. I’m sure you’re wanting to get out of the cold. I just, I depend on you. You give me the confidence to go into any battle with you. Here,” Reyson drew her in close. “Let’s get home.”  
His arms were warm around her and she felt no chill on the journey home. It was short for a journey, but it was much nicer than walking back to camp. They landed in front of the stables, and Kiran lingered in his arms, but stepped off of his feet. She looked up at him, and found that his emerald eyes were on her. Warmth spread throughout her body and her face flushed. “Thank you, my friend.” She stepped back, “Shall we head to the cabins?”  
“As you wish. Are you sure you didn’t want to summon tonight?” Reyson smiled at her, his face shining in the moonlight. “I know you were very keen on the latest patterns.”  
“Rey,” She sighed, “You’ve already stayed up late helping me get more. You should rest. You’ve been working so hard. It’s just one summon. It’ll probably just be another merger or manual.”  
“Let me accompany you. In case it is someone new, you’ll need help with the introductions.”  
Kiran smiled, remembering how she came to this world and thinking. "I wish I’d known more about him before coming here. Still, I have to see if I can get another one out of their world...to escape fate. It would be nice to not be there alone. Just in case I succeed. I’ll probably be too flustered to give a good introduction anyways." Aloud, she spoke to him. “Thank you. It’ll be brief. You need your rest.” She grabbed his hand again, squeezing gently before letting go.  
They walked through the camp, with nothing but the sounds of the wind in the trees between them and the sound of Reyson humming quietly under his breath. The stars twinkled above, the mountain air crisp under the cold, full moon. After a moment, Reyson halted and turned to her, stretching his hand out to her. “Do you really want to climb all the stairs to the altar?”  
Kiran laughed. “That’s true. It will be faster too. Thank you.” The young man did not hesitate in embracing her, moving her arms around himself and then holding her tightly. They rose into the night sky towards the altar. Kiran noticed that they were not moving as quickly as they had when they went out towards the battle. Kiran's thoughts came into her mind as soft as a whisper. "I wonder if he’s tired now, or if...if it’s something else." They were moving slowly enough that she was able to watch the sky as they flew. They landed softly on top of the hill overlooking the lake, the camp to their backs. Kiran’s gaze remained locked on the stars. “They’re so beautiful here,” She said. “They’re aren’t as many where I’m from.”  
“Yes, they are.” Reyson whispered. Kiran turned her eyes to find him looking down at her again. He cleared his throat, releasing his embrace and looking at the sky. “Shall we?” He gestured to the altar.  
Kiran nodded, removing the orb from her bag and placing it into her weapon. The altar glowed as a silver orb lit in the center. A puff of smoke surrounded the altar as a bright light encompassed them and a figure stepped forth.

"I'm Claude. I'm not big on formalities, so no need to put on airs. Feel free to throw me a feast any time, though."

Kiran’s heart stopped. "I did it," she thought.  
Claude stood in front of the altar, a bow and quiver on his back. His emerald eyes darted between the summoner and the heron, regarding them carefully. “As great as it is to meet new people, I do have some questions. For starters, where am I? Who are you both?” His voice was confident, betraying nothing, though his hand rested on his sheathed dagger on his side.  
“This is Askr. It’s a different world than where you come from. Here, heroes from many places come together to fight. We have all been summoned here using the ancient weapon, Breidablik, to join the cause against the Embla invasion. As far as who we are, I am Reyson of Serenes forest. This is the summoner, Kiran.” He was not new to the speech, and was observant enough to know of her nervousness with new recruits.  
Claude looked at both of them for a few beats. “Does everyone that you summon automatically agree to fight?”  
Reyson’s eyes widened. They usually did just kind of agree. "He’s more suspicious than that," Kiran thought.  
“You can choose not to engage in combat, yes, but most decide to help. If not with battles, then with other chores. We train you, teach you new skills. Until you get sent back home. But ours is a worthy cause, and the summoner is a true leader. You should stay a while to decide.”  
Kiran felt her chest tighten at Claude’s questions and she ducked her head further into her hood. "Of course he wouldn’t just decide to abandon his home and dreams," she thought, though she was still upset. She pushed down her disappointment, attempting to not let her sadness reach her voice. “We can give you a tour tomorrow and help with all your questions. Unfortunately, it is late in the evening and our usual greeters are well asleep by now. I didn’t expect to actually summon anyone tonight. Let us show you to the cabins and you can rest until tomorrow.”  
Claude eyed her curiously as Reyson gestured towards the stairs. “Come, my new friend. I’ll show you your quarters.”  
The archer sighed. “I suppose that’s not unreasonable. I was just heading back to my room anyways after studying in the library. ”  
Reyson turned back to Kiran, concern in his eyes. This was not the meeting they were expecting. “Will you walk with us?”  
“No, I shall see you tomorrow, though. Thank you, Reyson.” Kiran turned away from him, her eyes on the moon’s reflection in the lake. She clutched the clasp on her cloak. “Nice meeting you, Claude.”  
Their footsteps faded as they left the altar, beginning their trek towards the barracks. She half-heartedly began looking at the current summoning options, knowing there was only one banner she was interested in. After several moments, Kiran turned, watching their figures disappear into the distance, into the camp. Sighing, she began her trip down the numerous stairs, thinking to herself. "This is going to be difficult. What if I can’t get him to stay? Which version of the game did I steal him from? One where he was doomed? Or did I steal him from his destiny?"  
Her chaotic thoughts were interrupted by the sound of flapping wings, and she looked up to find Reyson flying from the camp towards her, still less than halfway down the stairs. He landed gently on the stair in front of her, his face level with hers. “Would you care for a lift?”  
She smiled softly. “You are too kind to me. Let us walk together, you’ve been carrying me all night. Besides, I do not mind the trip with good company.”  
“Of course. You reunited me with Leanne. From what you’ve told me of my story, I know that we would have been reunited anyways. But to be able to see her outside of the chaos of my world is a gift I cannot repay.”  
“It does not need to be repaid. I am lucky to have you as my friend and ally. This world is still chaotic. I wish it were more peaceful for you. Besides, I know that you have a difficult time around so many humans.” Kiran fingered the weapon at her side, remembering reading about the heron’s story. How he wanted revenge for what had happened to his people and homeland. She couldn’t imagine the pain that came with losing your home like that.  
“I used to, yes. But you have shown me that not all humans are the same,” Reyson halted, and placed a hand on her shoulder, gazing down at her. “You are more peaceful than many laguz I have met. You want to protect all these people. Even if it means taking them into a different sort of battle. I am happy to be here with you. You lessen the chaos and I am glad to lend you my voice.”  
Kiran smiled brightly. “Then I am glad to have you with me. I would hate to be on the receiving end of your anger. Still, I don’t know if all are glad to be stolen from their worlds. Even if It is good for them. I am glad we are not alone in this fight, though.” Kiran covered his hand on her shoulder with her own. “Let us go to bed.”  
They walked in silence for the rest of their journey, comforted by each other's warmth. Reyson walked her to the central cabin, the image of the altar engraved on the door. “Goodnight, Kiran. May you sleep well.” He bowed slightly before turning and walking towards his cabin.  
Kiran entered her cabin, shedding her clothing quickly before curling into her bed. It was not long before slumber overtook her.


	2. Chapter 2

The sunlight streamed through her window, filling her cabin with happy, yellow rays. Rubbing her eyes, Kiran awoke to a series of small knocks on her door.   
“Coming. Hold on.” Kiran grabbed her clothing that she had strewn over the floor and threw it on, sniffing it. “I’ll have to visit the baths today,” she thought.  
She opened the door to find an energetic redhead at her doorstep. “Commander Anna. Good morning,” Kiran yawned.   
“Good morning, summoner. I saw that we have a new recruit who came in last night. Care to join us on the welcome tour?” Anna gestured behind herself to Shareen, Alfonse, and Claude, who was chatting with the other two.   
Her heart suddenly beating loudly in her ears, Kiran tucked her head down into her hood. “Um, I actually think I’ll have to sit this tour. I have a lot of chores to catch up on.”  
Anna tilted her head, her eyes twinkling, “A lot of chores, huh? If you say so. We sure will miss having you.” Anna was well aware of her tendency to stay up too late.  
With that, the commander turned away and joined the others. Alfonse waved at the summoner as she began closing her door, disappointment obvious on his face even from a distance. Kiran collapsed against the door as it snapped shut. Her thoughts ran in anxious circles in her head. “Whew. I’m pathetic. I’m horrible at these introductory conversations anyways. This is the worst it’s ever been, though.” She rubbed her face, slapping her cheeks softly to rid her mind of Claude. “I need to get my shit together.”  
Grabbing her gun and strapping it at her side, Kiran gingerly opened the door, her eyes sweeping the area before she stepped out onto her porch. “Coast is clear,” she thought. “I should head to get some breakfast before they stop serving.”  
Kiran rushed towards the dining hall, waving briefly to Altina and Ares as she passed them. She entered the building just as they were beginning to clean up the food from the long tables. “Kira! If I’d known you still hadn’t eaten I’d have saved something!” Felicia exclaimed, setting down her silver platter to rush to greet the summoner. As she moved to run forward, however, her feet slipped on the tile and she tripped. Before she collided with the floor, Jakob caught her.  
“Felicia. You must be more careful. You are embarrassing us,” Jakob straightened up the girl, whose face was beginning to turn the same shade of pink of her hair.  
“T-thank you, Jakob. I’m sorry. I’ll get better!” Felicia’s face set in a determined manner as scarlet flushed in her cheeks. She clutched her fist with purpose. She turned back to Kiran and bowed her head. “I’m so sorry, summoner.”  
Oh boy.   
“No, no, that’s quite all right, Felicia. I’m glad that you’re so motivated to learn more with serving,” Kiran patted the woman’s back, then moved her out of her bow. “Can I still get some food to go?”   
“Of course, of course!” Felicia spun back to the table, grabbing some serving tongs. “What would you like?”  
Kiran grabbed the tongs from the girl. “Don’t worry, I can get it myself. I know you have a lot to clean up.” She slid a napkin over the platter and began moving small pastries onto it. Scooping the napkin closed, she turned to the exit. “Thank you guys though. I’ll see you both later! Appreciate your help.”  
“Wait, young master. Would you like any tea before you leave?” Jakob began putting emptied pitchers onto his tray.   
“Oh. I would not, but you actually reminded me of something I have to do. I’m planning on going to the forest to get more tea. Are there any supplies or herbs you need me to grab for the kitchen?”   
“I think we’re pretty well stocked currently. Be sure to take someone with you in case you run into trouble.” Jakob looked a little worried.   
She attempted not to narrow her eyes at him in anger, and she thought “I’m not completely defenseless. I will definitely not bother someone with this silly errand.” Aloud, she said“I will, don’t worry. Goodbye!” Kiran grabbed a piece of toast off the table and turned, munching on it while heading towards the stables. “I’ll have to grab a pegasus to take me. Hmm or I could go do some battles first. Then try to forage.” She ticked off her tasks in her mind. As she walked past the training arena, Chrom and Byleth stopped their sparring to wave at her.   
She smiled, and thought. “Both these blue-haired men together. Adorable.” Byleth came towards her, a small smile on his face, and she continued thinking about the joy of her circumstances. “It’s amazing seeing him less stony than he’d been in the game.”  
“Hey, Kiran! I heard you summoned one of my students last night. Are you planning on summoning more soon?”  
“Wanting to know if I’ll summon the other you?”   
“I am curious. I’d like to know more about her decisions as opposed to mine. That and I’d like to see some of my students, of course. Having the black eagles by our side would help greatly.”  
“I don’t disagree. I’ll probably try another session today. Edelgard would prove a valuable asset.”  
Beneath his otherwise empty expression, Kiran could see the hint of a blush. “Yes, Lady Edelgard would help with our strategies. Are you going on a mission? Do you need company?”   
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to send a group to the training tower. I feel like there should be some more orbs to be earned on the upper floors. Would you be down with taking some others?”   
“I would be honored. I’ll get a group together. How many should we get?”  
Kiran smiled at him. “Don’t strain yourselves. Maybe just try for another session and I’ll do it when I return from my mission.”  
“Okay. We’ll see you later, then. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”  
Waving goodbye, Kiran continued her path towards the stables. They kept all the horses and pegasi for the army in the stables in addition to some for general use. Coming up to a chestnut pegasus, Kiran took its girdle to lead it out of the stable.  
She regarded the mountains. “I’ll have to go a little further up if I want to find what I need.” Flying high above the camp, Kiran looked at the rough walls around their settlement. The fishing pond in the distance grew into a small blue dot as she flew into the forested mountains. She guided the pegasus towards the eastern mountains until the light green forest below turned dark and dense. Maneuvering to a small clearing, they landed softly among the pine trees. “Thank you, Rini.” She said, patting the pegasus’s side as she slid off.   
Kiran breathed in deeply, the fresh aroma of the pines filling her lungs. Sighing out, she grabbed a glass bottle from her bag. “Time to get some tea!” she tried to force more enthusiasm in her thoughts, but truly, her nerves could not be offset, even with a productive task to keep her hands busy. Reaching for her small dagger, she walked towards one of the tall trees. Cutting at the bark to free the needles, she held the bottle underneath to catch them, careful to not get the wood into the container. As she worked, she listened to the small melodies of the forest, the buzzing insects and the chirping birds. The slight cadence of the breeze as it combed through the trees. Suddenly, she heard another voice join the chorus of the forest from behind her.  
“Oh?” Her knife slipped in her hand, causing a sliver of blood to appear on her finger. “Damn. I should be more careful.” Sucking her finger, she held the bottle to her face, inspecting it. It was nearly full without any indication that she had bled in it. Satisfied, she corked the bottle and placed it in her bag, her finger still in her mouth. Fumbling around in her bag with her free hand, she took out a fabric bandage. As she wrapped her finger, she realized that the singing had become louder. Turning around, she saw a tall figure enter the clearing.   
His singing halted when he saw the pegasus. Reyson’s narrowed eyes scanned the area before they landed on Kiran. Softening, he smiled. “What brings you into the forest today, Kiran? I thought you’d be a part of the welcome tour this morning.”  
“No, you know full well I’m too awkward for the tours. Especially given the early hour of them.”   
“Especially this one,” she thought. Aloud, she continued. “I’m sorry for interrupting your singing. I’m just gathering a couple things.”  
Reyson laughed. “Don’t worry about interrupting, the singing is just there as I think.”  
“Then I should apologize more, then, for interrupting your thinking. I actually was a little lost in thought myself. I’ll probably be able to summon again tonight, if you care to join me.”  
“Did I interrupt your thoughts? And of course I will accompany you.”  
Kiran waved her hand. “No, no, not at all.” Reyson grabbed her hand as it was mid-gesture and examined the bandage on her finger.   
“When did this happen?” He touched the dressing. “May I?” He said, posed to unwrap it.   
She nodded. “Just now pretty much. I was just getting some of the pine needles for tea and my knife slipped. It’s basically a paper cut, it’s so small. Nothing really needed to fix it.”   
Reyson held the finger up to his face, his breath tickling her skin. “You’re right; it is very small. We should clean it when we get back. I hope it wasn’t caused by my startling you, though.” He wrapped her finger back in the bandage, holding her hand for a moment before letting it go.   
“Don’t worry about it. Thanks for being so considerate, though.”  
“If you say so. You’re our leader, so we can’t let anything happen to you, now can we?” Reyson’s eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief.   
Kiran’s mouth dropped open in feigned surprise. “You think I’m going to be taken out by a paper cut? That’s just rude.”  
He laughed in response. “You could have asked for some company if you needed it.”  
“I don’t need it.” Kiran narrowed her eyes at him, hand on her hip. She tilted her head at him and regarded him carefully before relaxing her pose. “Actually, you may be helpful to me though. Do you know chamomile? It’s a white flower with a yellow center. Are there any in the mountains?”  
Reyson thought for a moment. “Maybe. Expecting new recruits tonight?”  
Kiran felt her cheeks turn pink. “ I just want to be prepared for it if I get lucky.”  
“I’ll take you there, then. It’s just over the ridge.” He gestured up the mountain.   
“I probably shouldn’t leave Rini. I can go on my own.”  
“We’ll ride together on her. Besides, I have to protect you from yourself.” His eyes twinkled again.   
“You know, you keep teasing me, I may have to send you home.” Kiran said, deadpan.  
“You could try, but I would not leave willingly.”   
The sudden seriousness in his voice made her stomach flip. She felt her face grow even warmer. “Okay, let’s get going. We don’t want to waste the day.” She leapt onto the pegasus and patted behind her.   
Reyson slid in position and encircled her in his arms. Looking back to him, his wings almost the size of Rini’s, Kiran laughed aloud.   
“What?”  
“You look a little silly riding a pegasus, my dear heron.”  
Reyson rolled his eyes. “Let’s go. You’re clearly the silly one.”  
Kicking off, they soared into the sky, the green mountainside glimmering under the midday sun. Crossing the ridge, they landed among a field of white flowers, their fragrance filling the air.  
Reyson slid off behind her as she surveyed the meadow. “There’s so many!” She said, moving to dismount. Reyson held his hand out to her, and she took it begrudgingly. “I don’t need you to help me down, you know.”  
Half falling off of the creature, she found herself landing into his embrace. “Of course not. I’m just here to give you company.” Looking down at her, he noted, “You are quite short though. I don’t know how you usually get off without falling.” He placed his hand next to her face, pulling a pine needle out of her hair.   
Kiran struggled to focus on his words through her now-labored breathing. “I usually maintain a perfect, controlled fall off of Rini. Now stop teasing me. We have a mission here.”  
Laughing, Reyson turned to the meadow. “That’s true. Though it is beautiful here. I wish I’d brought food.”  
“If we finish what we’re here for I’ll give you some of mine.” Kiran pulled out another empty glass bottle and knelt in front of the flowers. Carefully snapping them from their stems, she began placing them in the container.  
As Reyson began to collect the flowers, he absentmindedly began to sing. His words floated quietly on the breeze. For a few moments, Kiran stared at him, mid-picking, before realizing she had stopped working. Shaking her head as though it would stop her from marvelling, she wiped the sweat from her brow and continued.   
Reyson quieted. Coming back toward her, his hands filled with flowers, Reyson deposited them into the glass bottle. “Do you have enough food to share?” He asked as she corked the container.   
“I always keep a few snacks on me. I’m not sure it’ll be enough to count as lunch though.” Kiran placed the glass into her bag, pulling out an apple and a glass container filled with nuts. She held the apple out to him.  
“We can go back if we need to. Besides, it’s so nice out right now,” He said, accepting the fruit from her. Sitting down among the flowers, he stretched before taking a bite of the apple. “It’s incredibly peaceful here.”  
“I suppose we could take a moment to rest.” She sat next to him, propping herself up slightly by placing her bag behind her, careful not to put her full weight on it. Taking a few nuts into her hand, she began munching, staring out to the mountain range in front of them. She breathed deeply as the breeze wafted the fresh air into her. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned. Kiran leaned back, closing her eyes, letting the sun warm her skin.   
As Kiran slumbered, she could hear the faintest of melodies in her mind. After some moments, she awoke. Opening her eyes, she found that she was not against her bag, but rather that she had rolled over and was now resting on Reyson’s lap. He was singing, gazing at the mountains. His hand was gently stroking her hair, and he startled at her stirring.  
“Good morning, sunshine. Or rather, afternoon.”  
Kiran gasped, sitting up from his lap. Her scalp felt cold in the absence of its pillow. “Oh no. I’m so sorry.” She rubbed her face into her hands, both hiding her blush and getting the sleep out of her eyes. “What time is it? How long was I asleep?” She looked up from her hands.  
He laughed. “Woah there. Don’t worry so much. You looked like you needed the rest. We did stay up pretty late last night.”  
“Still, I’m sorry for using you as a pillow.” She reddened.   
Reyson laughed again, and Kiran could almost imagine it was a bird’s call. “I could have woken you if I was uncomfortable being your pillow.”  
Her flush deepened. “I suppose so.” She glanced at the sky, noting the deeper yellow of mid-afternoon. “We should get back. It looks like I made you miss lunch.”  
“I don’t mind. I enjoyed our little afternoon snack.”  
“Well, thank you for your help. I hope we’ll get to use the tea tonight.”  
Getting back onto Rini, they flew back into camp. Putting the pegasus back into the stables, Kiran turned to Reyson. “I’ll see you at dinner?”  
They bide each other farewell, and Kiran left to check on the party in the training tower. Seeing Byleth, she waved. “Did everything go well today?”  
Reaching behind him, Byleth pulled out a medium sized sack. “Very well. There was some sort of event going on.”  
Kiran beamed. “Thank you guys! We’ll do these tonight after dinner.” Taking the sack, she waved goodbye and made her way back to her quarters. Glancing at her clock as she entered her cabin, she placed the sack of orbs on her bed. “Should be enough time to bathe and be back for dinner.” Kiran grabbed fresh clothes from her dresser and made her way to the sauna.


	3. Chapter 3

The sauna was somewhat like a spa, in that it did have a natural spring nearby as well as a steam room. It was also kind of like a bath house, with several separated rooms with tubs that could be filled with the water from the springs.  
The bath house, though usually filled in the mid-afternoon, was already mostly emptied. “I guess most people already took their baths for today. Though, the heat has been making the lake more popular,” she thought. Passing the front desk, Kiran took one of the red “Occupied” signs and went to find an open bath. “There’s not a single one being used. That’s nice at least.” Although she normally loved being able to interact with her comrades, Kiran often found herself being pulled in a multitude of directions. Today had been a nice break from her obligations to the army.   
Taking the room in the back, Kiran placed the sign on the door before closing herself in. Pulling a lever on the floor, she watched the tub fill with the steaming water. “Sigh. I can’t believe I slept on Reyson.” Kiran almost laughed aloud. “How embarrassing can I be? Though...he didn’t seem to mind,” she thought, remembering him stroking her hair. A shiver ran through her as she recalled the sensation. “But, I don’t know how I feel about that. Or him. Especially…” she thought about Claude’s easy smile. His secrets. His ambitions. “Sigh.”  
Suddenly, Kiran felt water through her boots. In her daydreaming, she had forgotten to watch the water level. Quickly pulling the lever, she threw off her boots to the side and made attempts to push the excess water into the drain. The tubs were luckily below floor level, so it was designed to be easy to deal with water overflow. Finally, she was able to undress and relax into the tub. Leaning back and closing her eyes, she slipped her head under the warm water. Brushing through her hair, she relished the warmth seeping into her scalp.  
Breaking through the water again, she breathed deeply just as the door opened. “No, not that one Claude, red means occupied!” Alfonse’s voice echoed in the bath house.   
“Oh my gods!” Kiran ducked further under the tub’s lip, covering herself, as the blushing face of Claude disappeared as he slammed the door back into place.  
“Sorry for the intrusion!” He screamed through the door.  
She internally screamed. “Oh my gods oh my gods by the freaking goddess did he see anything??? What a cliche coming in on me like that!”  
“Don’t mention it!” She yelled back, face in her hands, her dramatic thoughts overtaking her as she sank into the water, her nose barely above its surface. “Well relaxing is done. I’m going to finish this as quickly as possible and go back to my room to DIE.” Kiran moved to her soap and vigorously cleaned herself off. Finishing quickly, she dried and dressed and left in the span of a few minutes. Throwing her cloak back on and tossing her dirty clothes in her bag, she fled from the bath house. Luckily, it looked like Claude had the same idea, as she passed a closed door with a red sign on the way out. Pushing out of the building, she almost ran into Alfonse.  
“Kiran! I’m sorry about what happened back there. I didn’t realize in time. Are you okay?” Alfonse’s face was scarlet, and his eyes were widened in concern.  
“I’m fine. I get it. He’s new.” Kiran ducked a little under her hood, but seeing Alfonse’s worry, she smiled at him assuredly. “Really,” she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. I think I was fast enough anyways. Thanks for giving the tour without me today.”  
“Of course,” Alfonse still had a pinkish tint to his cheeks, but he appeared mostly composed. “Summons after dinner?”  
“You know it!” Kiran smiled, heading away. She stopped by her room on the way to the mess hall and dropped off her dirty clothing and towel. Hoisting the orbs over her shoulder, she made her way to supper.   
Most of the hall was already filled with heroes. Kiran still marvelled that so many people from different times and places could exist here for something as simple as dinner. It very often felt like a large family, and having never felt at home anywhere, Kiran was comforted by the pleasant noise that came from their nightly gatherings. As she entered, several heroes turned and called out to her. Waving at them, she went to get her food.   
As she approached the serving table, a silvery voice reached out to her. “Kiran, I haven’t seen you all day!”  
“Eir!” Kiran hugged the young woman, whose head rested on top of her own.   
“Are you excited for the summoning tonight?” Eir asked in her quiet voice.  
“Of course. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to meet you, princess.” Kiran watched Eir’s cheeks pinken.   
Eir laughed her off. “Or to meet you!”  
Gathering their food, they sat down and ate, catching up. Kiran watched as Claude made his way into the dining hall and sat down with Byleth. She looked on as they smiled together and chatted. “I wonder if I took them from the same place. I could always ask Byleth later,” she thought.  
Ting ting ting. Commander Anna stood at her table, tapping her glass. “Remember, heroes, tonight we are greeting our newest addition to our ranks, Claude of Fodlan!” A roar of applause filled the hall. “After dinner, we will attempt to summon some of his comrades during this fateful event. Anyone is, as always, invited to attend. May the gods bless our summoner! Enjoy the meal!”  
The lively chatter filled the hall as the heroes both greeted their new member, but also as they speculated about who they would see next. Byleth and Kiran had shared somewhat with the other heroes about Fodlan, but they both felt uncomfortable sharing too much. Coming into a strange world where you know nothing about it was hard enough without them knowing everything about you.  
As they finished dinner and the kitchen crew began cleaning up, Kiran and the other Askrians were at the front of a group to the summoning stone.   
“Kira, let me hold those for you,” Alfonse said, reaching out for the sack of orbs.  
She handed it to him and smiled in appreciation. The sun had begun to set, and the last orangey rays colored the sky. As they passed the torches lining the pathway, Tharja waved her hands to light them. Reaching the top, they gathered around Kiran and Alfonse, who held the open bag out to her.   
Reaching in and taking an orb, she watched as the orbs on the altar changed color. Looking back at Byleth’s face in the crowd, she smiled. Turning back to the orbs, she chose a singular green orb. “Here goes nothing,” she thought.  
A puff of smoke surrounded the altar as a bright light filled the area. Kiran felt her heart speed up.   
"I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, heir apparent of the Adrestian Empire. I will follow you, but I bow to no one."  
The crowd roared in triumph. “Edelgard!!” Many voices rang out, but Byleth stepped forward to greet her.   
“Professor?” Edelgard appeared understandably surprised at the surrounding crowd, but the appearance of Byleth seemed to calm her.   
“Edie,” Byleth used Dorothea’s nickname unexpectedly. “Let me explain everything to you.” He took her to the side as the crowd quieted.   
Turning back to the altar filled with silver orbs, Kiran instead reloaded her weapon, firing again into the altar, which filled with green, silver, and red. Still no Dimitri. Maybe tonight will prove to be busy for Byleth…  
Selecting the first red orb, Kiran held her breath with the crowd. No puff of smoke appeared, but rather, some hero feathers. Selecting the next one, the summoner gasped as another puff of smoke appeared, and a bright light again enveloped the altar.  
“I'm Byleth. I used to be a mercenary, but now I'm a professor. I will help your cause however I can.”  
“Bylass!!” The crowd shouted in excitement, though the professor’s face remained stoic. Her eyes did flit throughout the crowd, landing curiously on the gathering of the Fodlan folk.   
As she was greeted by Edelgard, Claude, and the other Byleth, Kiran turned to Anna. “I think we’re done for tonight. I don’t want to push my luck just yet.”  
Nodding, Anna turned to the crowd. “Heroes, heroes. Settle down.” She began to explain this world to the newcomers, who seemed calm despite their circumstances. She made plans for them to be shown the ground in the morning and moved the crowd to retire for the night. Kiran remained quiet next to her and Alfonse throughout her speech. She eyed Claude curiously from beneath her hood, watching his reaction to the newcomers. His face was a veneer, and his plastered on smile did not breach his eyes. Kiran studied him, thinking. “I can’t tell if this is his Byleth. Or if he even had a Byleth yet. I need to find out more.” Kiran observed Bylad in the middle of the group. “No use trying to get information from him tonight.” She sighed.   
The crowd began to filter down the stairs, and she decided to break off and go to the library once they reached the end. Rather than take a path through the barracks, she decided to go around the training grounds and baths. Waving goodnight to only those who surrounded her, she slipped away. Reaching the library, she sighed in relief. “Too much excitement,” she thought. “I’ll have to introduce myself tomorrow, probably. It’s rude if I don’t do it two days in a row.”  
Entering the library, she immediately made her way up the stairs and into a small corner table. Lighting the lamp, she ran her fingers along the familiar shelves. This section of the library was dedicated to Fodlan, and it was surprisingly empty when it came to the most interesting parts of the history. As such, Kiran made it her mission to fill the shelves with another book. Coming to a break in the shelf, she paused, thinking. “I definitely left it here. There’s no one else who’d be interested in these books….except…”  
“Looking for this?” A mischievous voice sounded from behind one of the shelves. Claude came around the corner, her inchoate book in his hands.  
Shit.   
“You know, it’s not expected that one of the first things you’d do in another world is read about your own.”  
“You know, we barely had an introduction before. Well, before I saw you in the bath I mean. I’d feel less creepy if we’d at least talked some before I saw you naked.” Claude winked at her.  
Kiran tried to control her expression, knowing that he was gauging her reaction. “May I have my book back?” She met his emerald eyes with a steady gaze.  
“Wow you’re as stoic as the professor.” Claude feigned surprise, his hand still gripped tight to the book. “Right now at least. You didn’t look that way earlier today.”   
Kiran blinked back at him, fighting the pinkening of her cheeks and putting her hand out for the book.   
“Not so fast, there.” He said, pulling it against his chest. “I haven’t read it all.”  
“It’s not even finished.”  
“No? Well it has a very interesting introduction. At least, interesting to me. Are you the writer?”  
Kiran thought back to the beginning of the book, and remembered. “Oh no. That’s right I started with Verdant Wind.”  
Fodlan’s formative years  
Although Fodlan was considered formed long before the War of 1180-1186, patriots of the great nation consider the true formation to be the unification of Fodlan and Almyra that occurred after the war ended. As the reborn goddess herself ruled in Fodlan as the archbishop, so did her lover and former student rule in Almyra. Eventually being able to marry and rule over a single nation, the king and queen of unification would later become legends to the eyes of their country. Their ruling would establish the paragon for peace and prosperity for the following years as their propensity for open minds and arms made them many allies.

Kiran attempted to play it cool, and smiled sweetly. “Well if it’s that interesting to you, maybe I’ll let you read it when I’m done.” She held out her hand again.   
Claude, ignoring her hand again, continued. “Well, it’s especially interesting considering that I had no female professor, yet a female professor is here tonight.”  
“What makes you think that you have anything to do with what is in this book?”  
“You wound me, Kiran, you really do,” Claude almost seemed genuinely disappointed, but all she could think about was how he was already using her name here. She knew that most heroes took a while to stop calling her ‘summoner,’ and his casual usage of her name thrilled her. “How about this, you answer my questions and I’ll give it back to you?”  
Kiran had expected this. But she knew this man. Depending on what reality he came from, he may just use the information and run off. She needed to be sure she could trust him. “No, you’ll have to do better. You’ll answer my questions and give my book back. I’m not sure if I can trust you, and honestly would rather you didn’t just leave this army.”  
Claude’s eyes widened at her answer, then narrowed. “What questions could you have for me? Aren’t you the one with all the answers?”  
“I’ll give you this for free. I have a general idea about a lot of answers. But your answers tell me what it is I know about you specifically. Does that make sense?”  
“That’s a free one? Because it just confused me more.” Claude sighed and pulled another chair up next to her table. “Why don’t we sit and chat about it and we’ll see.”  
Kiran sighed. “Fair enough. Let me make some tea first.” She grabbed the glass container of pine needles from her bag. “Be right back. Don’t go sneaking off with my book,” She pointed her finger at him menacingly.   
Claude laughed. “Trust me, you’ve peaked my interest enough to where I won’t be going anywhere until I know more.”  
Kiran made her way back to the main level of the library and went to the coffee/tea station in the center. It was a small single burner, away from the books, but it was still a little strange to see in the middle of a library. Once she made the tea, she poured it carefully into two cups, breathing in the calming scent and giving herself an internal pep-talk. “You can do this. Your stupid ass decided to write spoilers at the beginning of the book. Spoilers for the whole dang game so they can have an existential crisis while they’re here. Now you get to face the consequences.” Setting them on a tray with the still half-full pot, she made her way back up the stairs. “At least I was a waitress before. I won’t pull a “Felicia” up these stairs,” she joked to herself.  
Reaching the table, she carefully set the tray down in between them, sliding into her chair and taking the cup on her side from the tray. Blowing on it carefully, she met his eyes. “So you’ll answer my questions?”  
“Only if you answer mine.” He said, eyes twinkling as he held the book to his chest.  
“What do you want to know?”  
He loosened his grip on the book, eying her cautiously. Setting it down, he reached for his cup. He smelt it. “Pine?”  
“Is that your first question?” Kiran smiled impishly.  
His eyebrows raised and he laughed. “You think you’re cute, huh?” His eyes actually seemed to crinkle a little. “No it isn’t.” he thought for a moment, tapping his fingers on the book cover. He blew on the tea before sipping it carefully. “This is my favorite tea, actually. Let’s start small since you already gave me a free one. How did you know?”  
Kiran sipped her tea, choosing her words carefully. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had tea together.” Claude’s brow furrowed and he moved to open his mouth. Kiran held up her hand to stop him. “No, no, it’s my turn. In your world, whose class did Byleth teach?”  
Claude breathed deeply. “He taught the Black Eagles, just like the one here. But he’s...different. Why are there multiple Byleths?”  
Kiran fidgeted in her seat. “That’s a longer conversation than just one answer and I can tell you the whole thing for the book. For just why there are multiple Byleths...It’s because there are multiple people going through the story and they are the different Byleths.”   
“You’re right, I have no idea what you mean.”   
“How did you know that this Byleth was different from your Byleth?”  
Claude smiled at her question. “That’s a more complex answer too. For starters, the one in my world had green hair when I left.”  
Kiran flinched back at his answer, surprised, and her mind reeled. “He was already past that part of the game? So...that’s right before the black eagles route diverges. He knew this one was different, but it’s deeper than the hair.”  
Suddenly, she gasped, and spoke aloud. “Your Byleth sided with Rhea over Edelgard, didn’t he?”  
Claude almost spit his tea. His eyes widened, and he took a moment before replying. “You can’t ask another question right away. What makes you so sure that that is what happened?”  
“Because it’s the only reason you would be so certain that the one here is so different. If yours sided with Edelgard, this one could very easily be the same, just from earlier on. But you knew they were different for something more.” Kiran’s dark eyes twinkled in the lamp, and she smiled, knowing that her questions were answered. “Am I wrong?” Internally, she couldn’t help her relief and she thought, “If he stays, I’ll have saved him.”  
The library was silent. Claude stared at her across the table, his brow crumpled over eyes sparked with curiosity. “You’re not wrong. How do you know what happened in my world, but also what happened in this other world?”  
Kiran held out her hand. Sighing, the young man placed the book over her palm. Her fingers curled around the spine as she breathed in. “Thank you. It’s a long story, and I’m sure you’re already pretty turned around. Are you sure you’re up to get into this?”  
“Extremely.”  
“Not many people here realize what I’m about to tell you about, so you’ll have to keep it more or less a secret. I’m not sure just anyone could handle this information, but I know that you will be able to. Okay?  
He nodded, and she began.  
She’d practiced this very conversation in her head many times, and she spoke carefully. “So you already know that we summon heroes from different worlds to fight in this war. But what you don’t know is where all these worlds originated.” Seeing Claude’s mouth open to speak, she continued. “Trust me, you want me to start the explanation here. It’ll be a lot easier. Anyways, these worlds are real to both of us now-- we’re living in this one. But that wasn’t always the case. In my original world, all of the worlds that all of these heroes come from, including Askr, aren’t real.”  
Kiran paused to take a sip of her almost-cold tea, watching Claude’s face begin to process what she was saying. “Not real as in what?”  
“In the same way that a storybook’s characters are: they’re fictional” She continued. “But probably even harder to explain. Imagine that there is an interactive book that also includes a strategy game, like chess. So it has a story as well as a game. Your choices have consequences and change the story for the characters, but to you, it is a game. Does that make sense?”  
Claude contemplated for a moment. “So as though the pieces on the board were people who knew each other and had personalities and what not?”  
“Exactly. And each battle was a different set up and different characters did different things. A complex game with a story.” Kiran breathed in deeply, preparing herself to say her next sentence. She thought fearfully. “This may be a bad idea. I hope I can trust him.”  
She continued. “In my world, you’re a character from a game. The person playing the game is the ‘Byleth’, that’s why there’s a male and female. Their choices change the route, the story.”  
“But I’m real.” Claude swallowed, “At least, I think I am.” A ghost of a smile appeared on his face.   
Kiran reached out and gently touched his hand that rested on the table. His skin was warm and soft under her fingertips. “You are real,” she removed her hand and gestured around them. “All of this, this world, your world. It’s all very real. It’s just that my world doesn’t know that it’s real. I guess you could say that I’m the thing that isn’t real here.” Her voice grew smaller towards the end, and Kiran felt a weight on her chest. “I played your game, and it was an amazing story. This one, about Askr. Well, I wished to be able to come to this world and live as the character in it. The character, Kiran, doesn’t actually have much of a role in the game usually. I brought her, well, me now, to life.” She cleared her throat. “Sorry, getting off topic. Anyways, I’m sure you want to know about your future, right?”  
Claude straightened up some. “Yes, I would. I’m not the Claude in that book, am I?” He pointed at the book in her hand.  
She traced the title’s raised letters under her fingers as she read it aloud. “Verdant Wind. This is the route that the game takes the player on if the Golden Deer house is chosen at the beginning. From what you’ve told me, the route that you are from, the one that your Byleth was taking, is the Silver Snow route, also known as the church route. You would not become the king of unification in that world.” Her eyes filled with pity. She paused before continuing. “Unfortunately, none of the house leaders have a good ending in that route. You are missing, presumed to be dead. And Edelgard and Dimitri both die.”  
Claude’s face was almost expressionless as she continued. “If it makes you feel better, most people in my world who have played the game think there’s no way you would die. You would have found a way out.”  
Claude suddenly broke into a small grin. “Apparently.” He gestured to her. “You’re my way out. This place is my way out.”  
Kiran’s chest grew warm and she took a shaky breath. “I was hoping I’d be doing that if I summoned you,” she confessed. “I didn’t want it to be that I was taking you away from all your hopes and dreams.”  
He looked almost confused. “Why would you…” He trailed off, looking back at the book under her hand. “Is this book about the choices you made when you played the game?”  
Kiran bit her lip, feeling her face grow hot. “It was going to be, yes. Like I said, it’s not done. It’s hard to get the details all down though, since every character can have different endings within the route.”  
“But you play as Byleth.”  
“Everyone who plays the game does, but yes, I did.” Kiran’s face grew redder.  
“So the version of me that was in your game, you married him?”  
“In the game, yes.” Her heart thumped loudly in her ears, and she barely heard her own voice. “It was the ending that made the most sense in the story.”  
Claude’s eyes filled with mischief. “Oh, so it wasn’t just that you fell in love with me?”  
Kiran forced out a laugh. “You were a fictional character; how could I fall in love with a story? Tell you what, you can just read your own story after I write it and tell me if anyone playing as a female Byleth would have chosen differently. The game may let you make choices, but trust me, the story was always written to be that way”  
Claude winked at her. “If you say so, I’ll have to see for myself. I guess I’d better let you finish writing then,” he said, placing his empty cup on the tray. He moved to get up.   
“Wait.” She placed her hand on his again before quickly blushing and taking it back. “Don’t let my working keep you from using the library if you actually wanted to be here. For a different reason, I mean, other than just interogetting me.” She took his tea cup back off the tray and set it in front of him, filling it. Filling her own cup, she continued, “Besides, you saw me naked today. The least you could do is keep me company.”  
Claude’s laughter echoed through the library, and his smile crinkled the corners of his eyes. “That’s completely fair. Besides, it’s not like I have to worry about you finding out all my secrets. Do you have any of the other stories written down already?”  
She smiled back at him. “For your world? Not yet, the golden deer route was the first one I played, so it was the first one I wanted to do. You can read about ‘Awakening,’ though. That was the game I played first. In that one, the player is Robin.” She pointed to a small book at the bottom of the shelf.   
“Interesting. Robin that I met at dinner? The scary guy, whispers to himself?”  
Grima. “Not completely, but yes. Same game.”  
“Okay, I’ll give it a chance.” He stretched his hand out and pulled the book off of the shelf. “Wait, I do have another question though. About you.” He held the book in front of him. “Is Kiran just the player name for this game?”  
She was a little taken aback. “I didn’t expect you to want to learn anything about me.”  
Claude tilted his head curiously. “You pulled me away from a possible death into another dimension and were crazy enough to marry me in a different reality. Of course I want to know about you. Besides, you know everything about me. It’s only fair.”  
She raised her eyebrows and nodded. “Yes, Kiran is the name that this game gives the player. I have a different name where I came from.”She thought, “Just like you did, Khalid.” Aloud, she said, “I think it’s a little early in our friendship, though, to tell you everything about myself. Besides, I’m sure there are some things about you that I don’t know.”  
“If you say so. But I expect us to be close friends, okay?” His eyes were intense on hers.  
“Fair,” she agreed, looking away from him. She opened Verdant Wind to continue writing.   
As she was working, she noticed the sky darken deeper until it was just a few hours until dawn. She had managed to get almost to the battle of the Eagle and the Lion. Putting the book down, she saw that Claude had fallen asleep across from her, his head resting on the open pages of Awakening. Gathering up her supplies quietly, she made her way to a basket on the bottom bookshelf and pulled out a blanket. She draped it gently over the young man’s shoulders before making her way carefully down the stairs with the tray. Exiting the library, Kiran made her way back to her room and went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

A few hours later, Kiran awoke to the breakfast horn, which was surprising considering how late she had stayed up. She had fully expected to sleep through it again, like yesterday. “Maybe I’m just excited to see him,” She thought, pulling on her clothing.   
Exiting her cabin, she pulled the door closed and turned, surprised to find Claude waiting for her on the porch. “Oh! I didn’t expect to see you this early.” She said.  
Claude yawned. “I didn’t expect to be up this early either. But I also didn’t expect to wake up in the library.”  
“I didn’t know if you would have rather I woke you,” she said, blushing. Kiran stepped down the porch. “You ready for breakfast?”   
Claude followed her down the steps and they made their way towards the dining hall. “It wasn’t the worst place to sleep. The blanket was certainly a nice touch,” he winked at her. “Is the book ready yet?”  
Her eyebrows raised. “You think I can write out an 80 hour game in one night? The story itself spans 2, well 6 years, really.”  
“Well can I read what you have so far?” Claude pushed his lower lip out in a pout.  
“Hmmm. I think you could stand to wait a little bit,” she replied, laughing. “Besides, it’ll probably only take me a few days. Especially if I keep sacrificing my sleep for you.” She waved to some of the other heroes as they passed more cabins.  
“So you wanna meet in the library again?”  
“Maybe? I might have more to do today, but after dinner we definitely can. Besides, don’t you want to get to know the people from other versions of Fodlan? You can maybe go on some training runs with them today.” They had reached the dining hall, and the other Fodlan natives were together. Edelgard was speaking animatedly to Bylad, who was smiling happily and listening. Bylass was watching them, her face mostly expressionless.   
“I think they’ll do alright without me. Besides, I’m sure I’ll be here for a while, so it’s not like I won’t have time to talk to them.”  
“You’re staying?” Kiran asked as they reached the serving table. Turning to Jakob, she grabbed a plate. Looking back at Claude, his eyes darkened slightly.  
“Well I'm not going back to almost certain death,” he whispered. “If I’m here,” he continued at a normal volume, “then my path is in Askr.”  
“And aren’t we glad to have you!” Anna came up from behind them. “Summoner, are you planning on trying again tonight?”  
Kiran paused in her scooping to face the excited red-head. “I was actually thinking I may summon during the day. Then you’ll have the day for the tour. Let them hop right in.” “And it’ll be less public than an after-dinner summon,” she thought.   
“We got a daily orb shipment, so that’s great timing,” Anna said, gesturing to a sack at her table.   
“We’ll see if we get lucky then. Meet you after we eat,” Kiran waved to her and went to find an empty table.  
Claude sat down next to her. “Who are you trying to summon still?”  
“Well I still don’t even have all the house leaders,” she said, pouring cream in her coffee. “But honestly, everyone.”  
“Did you marry Dimitri too? And here I was thinking I was special,” He pouted, and his eyes twinkled in mischief.   
A blush sprung across her cheeks. “Honestly, I never finished playing the Blue lions route,” She whispered. “But keep your voice down.” She narrowed her eyes at him before looking up. “Reyson!”  
The young laguz crossed in front of their table and stopped, smiling brightly at her. “Kiran, I don’t usually see you up so early.” His eyes shifted to Claude and his smile waned slightly. “I see you’re getting along well. Decided to help our cause?”  
“For now. I’ve been intrigued by our summoner here, at the very least.”  
Kiran couldn’t help but notice the tightness in Reyson’s smile. “She is incredibly intriguing.” He cleared his throat. “Um, anyways, I’ll see you both later. I’m supposed to be meeting with Leanne and Naesala.”   
Kiran watched him as he rushed away, her face crestfallen. “Another previous husband?” She turned her gaze back to Claude at his words.  
“Why, you jealous?” She laughed at his surprised expression. “Don’t worry, I’m only joking. But, to be honest I never actually played his original game. I only knew of him with this one, as Kiran.”  
“Does everyone here just know you as Kiran?” She detected a hint of sympathy in his voice.   
“That’s who I am now, so yes. We should finish eating so I can summon for today.”  
He looked like he wanted to continue probing her, but he conceded and turned his attention to the food. They remained mostly silent throughout the meal, with Claude only asking the occasional question. His questions, this time, though, were about Askr and Embla, and Kiran was relieved.   
“You two almost ready to go summon?” Anna came up from behind them.  
“I think so. Let’s do it.”   
After handing their trays back to the kitchen staff, they made their way to the summoning ruins. The ordeal was much less crowded than the previous night’s session, and Kiran found herself more at ease. In addition to Anna, Claude, and herself, Reyson, Edelgard, and the Byleth twins joined them. Selecting the blue orbs, she held her breath with each one. It wasn’t until the second set of orbs that she saw a puff of smoke and light flashing as she summoned a new hero.  
“I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, heir to the throne of Faerghus. I hereby devote myself to your cause.”  
“We’ve gotten them all!” Anna rushed forward to greet the new arrival exuberantly. The usual spiel appeared to be more readily acceptable to Dimitri than it had been for Claude, though the young blond was regarding the group with confusion.  
At the end of Anna’s introduction, he spoke up. “So, you guys aren’t from my world? I just saw you, professor.” He gestured to the female Byleth. “And you two.” He turned to Claude and Edelgard. “I just saw you both.”  
“There would appear to be different alternate worlds, timelines, of our own world.” Surprisingly, it was Claude who spoke up and began explaining the situation to Dimitri. He left out the dire consequences of certain realities and the specifics of other timelines, and of course, the fact that they had all been fictional, and after his explanation, Dimitri looked more at ease.  
“I suppose that makes enough sense. If there are other worlds anyways, that there should be other versions of our own.” His blue eyes moved away from his companions to Kiran. “And that you bring us here as the summoner? That is a great power to have. I am honored to meet you.” He held out a gloved hand to her.   
She took it in hers, the leather cool under her skin. “I am honored to meet you, Prince Dimitri. We are happy to welcome you into Askr and would be glad to have you fight alongside us.” Her words were genuine, but felt foreign in her mouth. She rarely was so formal with new recruits, but she knew that it would be appreciated here.  
Claude, standing to the side, was watching her curiously. “I’m sure after I was such a bumbling mess during our first meeting, he didn’t think I had it in me,” she thought.  
“It is still early in the day. Would you like to come with us on a tour? We’ve already started some this morning, but we only really covered the dining area and living spaces.” If Anna seemed uncomfortable with such a large group, she didn’t show it. Though, it had been a while since they’d had more than two recruits at a time.   
“I would be glad to join the group, thank you.” Dimitri turned to Claude. “Will you be joining us?”   
“I actually had the privilege of having the tour already, but I appreciate the invite. I may actually do some training or studying before dinner.” He threw a small wink towards Kiran. “But I’m sure I’ll see you guys later. It’ll be just like back at the monastery.”  
With that, the group made their way down from the altar and split. The tour group went back towards the dining hall, and even Reyson left to join some others at the training tower. Kiran turned to Claude expectantly. “So you wanted to go back to the library?”  
“Absolutely. The sooner you finish writing, the sooner I can read my whole story. I want to know everything.”  
As they began walking, Kiran had a thought, and voiced it aloud “You know, if you ever go back to your own land, I’m not even sure if you’d remember having been here. I’m not sure how useful the knowledge would be.”  
His face gave nothing away, though he appeared unperturbed by the news. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, I’m still too curious to be satiated just because it might not be useful later.” He opened the door to the library and held it open for her. “Besides, if you think I’ll forget it anyways, you can just tell me all about yourself, right?”  
She laughed, entering the library. “Nice try. We’ll see. How about you make your way up and I’ll make us some tea. I think I may have some combat manuals for you, too, if you’re interested.”  
“Combat manuals?”  
She started up the small burner under the kettle. “If you’re going to be battling at all while you’re here, there are a few skills you need under your belt to survive. You’ll learn those from combat manuals. I keep them on the corner shelf, right next to the table. I’ll pick out a few for you after I make the tea.”  
“You don’t think I have enough skills? Eh you’re probably the expert, though. Okay I’ll see you up there.”  
After making the tea, she made her way up with the serving tray. She found Claude standing behind the table, studying the combat manuals. Setting the tray down, she moved to stand next to him. “So where do these come from?” He asked.  
She surveyed them, looking for a hero with Reposition. “Well, sometimes, if I have a hero already here, but they would have been summoned, I’ll send them back to their world. In doing so, I can either get hero feathers, which will help with training, or I can get a manual of skills that the hero had. Those skills can be taught to different heroes. IE, you.” She plucked a combat manual labeled “Selena” off the shelf and began searching for a manual with “Life and Death.”  
Grabbing “Sothe,” she turned back to him. “So, instead of just watching me write, you can learn something. Or you could keep reading Awakening, but I’m not sure if that seemed interesting enough to you.”   
He took the tomes from her. “It wasn’t that. Sometimes, I do need sleep, you know?” He set them down on the table and sat down. “Unlike you, apparently. I don’t know how you managed to wake up so early today.”  
She took Verdant Wind out from her bag and sat across from him. “The things I do to keep you satisfied. I write, I wake up early. All in a day’s work for a summoner.”  
He chuckled. “Are there more summoners?” He took his tea from the tray and blew on it softly. “Thank you, for the tea. Did you already have the pine or did you have to go and find it?”  
“I thought we weren’t doing the interrogation portion of today.”  
“You know me better than to have truly believed that.”  
“That’s true,” she thought. “Well, if you must know, I had to find the tea. I went on a mission yesterday to gather supplies. Reyson helped.”  
“The bird guy?”  
“I wouldn’t call him that to his face if I were you. He can have a temper.”  
“Really? Hmm.” He sipped his tea consideringly. “So there are other summoners?”  
“If you call playing the game as ‘Kiran’ in my world ‘being a summoner’. But in the capacity that I am, no, there probably aren’t.”  
He absently opened the first manual. “So why are you here? What gave you this power?”  
“Are you more interested in my backstory, or your world’s future, Claude? I can’t write and answer you. I’m good, but I’m not that good.” She winked at him, hoping she seemed as confident as she was trying to be.  
“Okay, sure. You’re right. It’s not like we don’t have time.”  
“I honestly don’t know if time truly passes here. I don’t think it does,” she thought to herself. Smiling softly at him, she nodded. “Exactly.” She bent her head over the book and began writing where she left off.   
The library was louder than it had been in the evening, with several people coming and going, but no one ventured to their upstairs corner. Claude was mostly silent as he read, taking the occasional sip from his tea. Kiran found herself only slightly distracted by his presence and kept stealing small glances. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly with concentration as he read the manuals, and his green eyes fixed carefully on the page.   
Kiran remembered her tea only after starting the goddess tower month, chapter 9. She drank the chilled liquid and tried to recall that month. Her heart twisted as Jeralt’s death came to mind. She swallowed hard, but a lump in her throat remained. Wiping a small tear from the corner of her eye, she set to work on the chapter.   
She was just into Byleth’s attempt to change the past when Claude spoke. “Were there any other combat manuals you think I need or should I just read Awakening? Oh hey. What’s wrong?”  
Kiran wasn’t sure how much he had noticed, but she knew there were still unshed tears shining on her eyes. She smiled through them. “Oh, nothing really. Just a tough part of the story. You wouldn’t want me to spoil anything, right?” She wiped at her eyes and turned to the clock. “Actually, we should probably head to dinner soon.” They had worked straight through lunch.  
“If you say so. Are we coming back tonight?” He moved to grab the manuals, which were now blank. “What happened to these?”  
“Once you learn them, they go blank. They’ll fill up again whenever there’s new ones.”  
“That is very strange.”  
She laughed. “It’s certainly unique. We can come back tonight if you would like to. I probably will regardless.” She grabbed the tea tray to carry it down, but kept her bag at the back of the chair. Her weapon was still strapped to her side, so she felt comfortable with leaving the rest of her belongings.   
“I’d like to come, then. Besides, I want to read about your adventures as Robin. Though, you didn’t actually live those ones, right?”  
“Correct.” She set down the tray at the tea station and they made their way towards the dining hall. “How far did you get before falling asleep?”  
“Marth had just come to warn Chrom about an attempt on his sister’s life.”  
“Marth..?,” she thought. “Oh, Lucina!” Aloud, she said,“Not a bad chunk then. It’s an exciting story.”  
He opened the door of the dining hall for her. “Which is why I’m excited to read more.”  
It was early in the dinner service, and the hall was not even half filled. The Askrians and the Fodlandis sat together at a table, Reyson and Leanne close by. Byleth (M) and Edelgard were conversing closely, with Dimitri and Byleth (F) chiming in occasionally. Kiran smiled at them getting along so well, and she waved to the group as they passed. “I’d say I should go training with them, but I’ve been wanting to work on the book. Though, you should probably train with them tomorrow. I can send you, Dimitri, Fjorm, and maybe Edel on a few missions. It’ll help you really learn those skills from the manual.” She grabbed a tray of food.   
“That could be nice. It’ll give you more time to work on the book.” Together, they moved to sit with the others. Claude sat next to Byleth (M) and Kiran took the seat next to Dimitri, with Reyson on her other side.   
“Do you mind if I sit here, Prince Dimitri?” She immediately internally kicked herself for adding the ‘Prince’ as Claude rolled his eyes at her.   
“We actually were saving it for you,” Reyson said. “Though, we weren’t sure if you’d stay cooped up in the library or not.” His face conveyed little emotion, but Kiran could see him regarding Claude almost with...suspicion.  
“I’m glad you gambled on my hunger then, thank you. Are you two becoming fast friends?”  
“I feel as though we are kindred spirits, my lady. Reyson was telling me of the destruction of his homeland and how you have helped him find peace.”  
Kiran felt her face grow hot, and she imagined it to be a similar color to Edelgard’s cape. “You don’t have to call me ‘lady,’ Kiran works fine. Though, I’m glad you two are getting to know one another. I’m sorry that it was tragedy that brought you together, though.”  
“You don’t have to call me ‘prince’ here, then. And though I may be haunted by my past, I hope, too, that being here can bring me peace as well.”   
The dining hall around them bustled, but looking into his haunted, blue eyes, Kiran could imagine that they were somewhere more peaceful. “I hope so too, Dimitri. Did you enjoy seeing the grounds today?”  
“I did. I’m excited to use the training grounds and learn from the different heroes here.”  
“I actually was thinking of sending you and some of your classmates on some missions tomorrow. I know Claude has some skills he’s been wanting to learn, and I’m sure Edelgard would enjoy the experience.”   
“I really just need you guys to get to know each other better,” She thought.  
“I would love to.”   
“Excellent. And, Reyson, I’m sure you would be helpful as well.”  
“Will you be joining us, summoner?”  
“Summoner? That’s a little formal,” she said internally as she felt a prickle in her heart. Aloud, she spoke. “Unfortunately, not, but I’m sure you will do well without me.”  
The rest of their meal consisted of pleasantries and general questions. Kiran found herself feeling outside of herself despite being around so many others. Her heart ached at remembering Reyson’s tone, and she struggled to think of what had upset him. Although she was used to being an outsider, the feelings were rarely this strong. She found herself finishing her food quickly before rushing off to the library with small goodbyes.  
She strode towards the building with her hood darkening most of her face, and she found herself glad that it did. Tears pricked slightly at her eyes, and she quickly blinked them back. The weight of loneliness crushed her slowly as she walked, and she sped up until she was almost sprinting to the library before she heard a voice calling for her.   
“Kiran! Why did you rush off like that?” Claude skidded to a stop just in front of her. “I hadn’t realized you had left until I looked up and you were gone.”  
“Oh sorry. I-” She wiped her face, hoping he would not notice. “Just needed some air before getting back to work. Had you finished eating before running off? I’m sorry if I made you worry.”  
“We were all a little worried. What’s wrong?” His tone held none of its usual teasing, and he bent down to try to meet her eyes under the hood.   
“Nothing in particular. I think--it’s just from lack of sleep. We just can’t stay up too late again tonight, okay?” She kept her voice light. “I am sorry I worried you though. I just felt...stifled in there for a moment.”  
“Are you sure you’re okay to write at all tonight? Maybe you should go to bed?”  
She waved him off. “No, no, I’ll be fine. It’s rare that I am able to do anything to really help out here, so I’m glad to have a project.”  
“That’s a little too humble, wouldn’t you say?”His voice had taken on an edge that Kiran did not recognize.  
“What?”  
“That you don’t do anything to help out. Reyson practically worships you. Alfonse and Sharena look to you for as much guidance as they do Anna. Anna, even, she depends on you to help her lead.” His words came out like a flood, and He took a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t know if you can blame lack of sleep on not seeing yourself as helpful, but you can’t do that. Even my being here. You didn’t have to try to summon me. I’m sure there are plenty of other heroes you could have saved the orbs for. But you chose me. You saved me from a terrible fate. How is that not doing anything helpful?”  
Kiran looked up at him in shock at his candor, her hood falling back slightly. She stared at him, her mouth opened just enough that her breath could escape. She felt her heartbeat quicken as though through a slumber or a veil. The sensations of her body numbed as his words resounded in her mind. Staring into his eyes, earnest and kind, she was in awe.   
His words sank into her, and as though she were being awakened, she gained control of her face once again. She smiled wanly at him, her eyes watering again. “Thank you, my friend.”  
His face broke out into a smile, and it made her heart ache. “Thank you. Now, will you join me for a nightly, but not-as-late-as-last-night, library workathon? My lady?” He winked as he emphasized his last words, and Kiran groaned.  
“Don’t you do that now. You are one of the only ones who hasn’t done that.”  
They started walking to the library, the stars just beginning to twinkle above them. “Whatever do you mean, my lady?”  
My lady.   
The words may still irk her, but due to something in his voice, a strange warmth spread through her and accompanied the usual discomfort. “Then let us go, my lord.”  
He laughed, and Kiran marveled at the sound. It was a surprisingly vulnerable sound, as a child would make when jumping from a swing. She wondered how often it was that he truly laughed, and she felt truly lucky.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Kiran sent Claude, along with Dimitri, Edelgard, and Fjorm, on several random missions. She hoped that they got to know each other, and despite not knowing if they would ever return to Fodlan, or if they’d remember anything, the desire to cheat fate was great enough that she wanted to at least try to make them all friends. Even if the friendships wouldn’t last.  
Kiran knew that she would have been missed if she’d just holed herself up in the library, so she made an effort to combine her work. She gave instructions to Anna to send in various members of the army for combat manual training, and throughout her day, she would have them coming in and out to study manuals. Many of them would join the training parties afterwards to cultivate their new skills.  
She surprised herself at her own efficiency with this plan, and was pleased to be making progress on the book. She was about to begin the chapter on the Valley of Torment when she heard the door open.  
“Up here!” She called down, not looking up from the book. She heard a pair of footsteps coming up the stairs, and she peered up to see Leanne and Reyson. “Oh hey. Reyson, you came too. Uh Leanne, hello. Here is the manual I picked out for you. I marked the skills I’d like you to go over.” She handed the young woman the Moonbow manual before turning her attention to Reyson. “Would you like to help me make some more tea while your sister reads over that?”  
He nodded before following her down the stairs. He stood behind her quietly as she prepared the tea. “Summon-Kiran. We missed you at the end of dinner last night.” He spoke softly, and he leaned towards her from her side so that his green eyes were almost directly in front of her. “Did I-did something upset you?   
She stirred the leaves into the hot water meticulously, refusing to meet his gaze. “I was finished eating and just felt like it was the time to leave and work on some things.”  
“You seemed upset when you left.”  
“I would have thought you’d have followed me if you really thought that something was wrong.” She kept her tone even, hoping that he would not see her words as harsh. Quietly, she continued. “I thought you were angry with me.”  
“I-I’m not angry with you! How could you think that?” He raised his voice, and she couldn’t help but flinch back. Quickly, he lowered his voice again, looking away from her. “I’m sorry I didn’t follow you. Claude seemed to know something was wrong and you’ve been spending so much time with him. I just figured it best that I-,” He took a deep breath, and met her eyes. “I think I just have missed seeing you the past few days, and I’m not entirely sure that I trust Claude.”  
“Do you trust me, Reyson?” She had turned away from the tea, and she stood now facing towards him, her eyes wide and earnest on his. They were so close together that she could feel his body warmth.  
“You know I do.”  
“Then trust him, too. You don’t have to be his friend if you don’t want to, but he is here for now, and he is a part of this army.”  
“It’s not that I don’t trust him as I would any other hero. I don’t trust him--”  
“Hey, is everything okay with the tea?” Leanne asked, coming down from the stairs. Reyson and Kiran jumped apart. “I just finished the manual. Was there anything else, summoner? I think we will be heading to lunch shortly”   
Kiran cleared her throat, busying herself with pouring honey in her cup. “No, thank you, Leanne. That’ll be all. I appreciate your help.”  
The young blonde looked from Kiran to her brother and back to Kiran. “Of course. Thank you, summoner. I’ll be outside, Reyson, when you’re done.”  
The door closed softly behind Leanne as she left the library. Kiran set the honey down and turned her attention back to Reyson. She was about to open her mouth to speak when he pulled her tightly against him in an embrace. His heart thumped loudly and quickly under her ear, and his arms around her were warm and surprisingly strong for their delicate appearance. Her arms remained dropped at her sides in shock.   
He spoke in her ear, his voice so soft it was almost a whisper. “Forgive me, Kiran. I hope that you do not misunderstand me. You are...important to me.” His breath tickled her ear, and he pulled his head back so that his chin rested atop her head. “I want to protect you, and there are other kinds of hurt, beyond the battlefield, that I’d like to protect you from. Men do not always have...honorable intentions. I suppose I still am wary when it comes to some Beorc…”  
She slowly put her arms around him, hugging herself even deeper into his chest and hiding the pinkening of her cheeks. “Rey...I’m sure you know that you don’t have to worry about me. But you’re...important to me too, so I understand worrying for someone who is strong enough to never need to worry about. I’m sorry to have worried you, but I’m also...I’m really glad you aren’t angry at me.” Her eyes tightened and tears threatened to escape and she held him tighter.   
His hand moved to the back of her head and into her hair, his fingers tender on her scalp as he cradled her in his chest. “It would take much more for me to ever be angry at you, Kiran.”  
Her voice came out muffled from his shirt. “Good because you can be really scary when you’re angry.”  
He laughed, and his whole body shook. He pulled her back to look into her face. “You think I can be scary? I’m not as big or powerful looking as Tibarn.”  
“No, but you’re scary without that, and that should tell you something.”  
She spoke sincerely, and Reyson’s cheeks glowed. His face suddenly softened and filled with a tenderness that Kiran had not seen before. He moved his hand from her hair to her slightly damp cheek, his other hand at the small of her back. His fingers caressed her skin softly, as though attempting to dust away the remains of tears that had all but gone. His eyes blazed brightly as they locked onto hers, and he leaned his face down, his breath warm on her cheeks. “Kiran--”  
The door opened suddenly, and they sprang apart. Claude entered the library, a tray of food balanced in his hands. Kiran’s mind couldn’t catch up to what had just happened--and almost happened, but she forced herself to shove her racing thoughts aside. “Claude! I didn’t expect to see you this afternoon.”  
“I figured you’d be too busy for lunch, so I thought it would be good to bring lunch to you.” His eyes slid to Reyson, who still stood close to Kiran. “My apologies, Prince, but I only brought enough for the summoner and I.” His voice was polite, but Kiran sensed a tightness in it.   
Although Reyson had corrected Kiran every time she had called him prince, he said nothing to Claude. If anything, he stood up straighter at the title, his cold gaze pointed downward as he responded. His voice bordered on haughty as he answered. “I appreciate you saying that. Leanne is waiting for me, anyway.”   
He turned back to Kiran, losing only a fraction of his aloofness as he lightly pressed his lips to her forehead. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She caught a twinkle in his eye as he pulled back, bowing his head slightly to her. “Until later, Kiran.” He strode past Claude and out of the library.   
They stood in a palpable silence for a few seconds before Claude finally spoke. “So you said he’s not another game husband?” His eyebrows shot up, and he winked at her as he passed by. He walked up the stairs with the food tray, pausing halfway to turn back to her. “Are you coming up to eat, or are you going to stand there in shock for lunch?”  
She scrambled, finally breaking from her tensed position. “Um I’m just about to grab some tea for us.” She grabbed the pine and sprinkled some in an empty cup. “Be up in a moment. You can start eating if you’re hungry.”   
Steeling herself, she readied the tray and brought it up the stairs to their corner table. Claude had the tray of food in front of him, but it remained untouched. He held a piece of paper in his hands and only looked up once Kiran was almost at the table.  
“I see you’ve found my list,” she said, sitting across from him. “Any thoughts?” The list in question was of the units she had used during her original Golden Deer run, with their possible romances and their classes.   
“You haven’t put everyone that you could. From the other classes.” He set the list down and grabbed his tea from the tray.   
“I didn’t recruit everyone that I could have when I played the game.” She stirred her tea thoughtfully with her spoon, remembering her later regrets at having not saved everyone. How often she had thought of re-doing the run through.  
“Hmm,” he said. Claude began picking at the food tray with a fork before continuing. “So, I’m assuming you’re not wanting to discuss what I just walked in on a moment ago?”  
She almost spit out her tea. “What do you mean?”  
He raised his eyebrows at her, and if he hadn’t already known, the pink flushing through her cheeks certainly gave her away. “Like I said, you’d rather not say.”  
“I’m not entirely sure myself what just happened, so I’m not sure what you’d want to discuss.”  
“I think it was pretty clear what was happening.” He didn’t sound angry, Kiran thought, but he seemed guarded, cold.   
“Then maybe you can tell me, since you know everything.” She hadn’t meant to snap at him, and she immediately regretted her tone. “I’m sorry. I’m just...confused. It’s not your fault that I’m an idiot.” She forced out a laugh, trying to calm the mood. “Anyway, it’s not that I don’t want to talk about it, um. If you have a question, I could try to answer. I’m sorry.”  
“You’re not an idiot. Well, you might be a little when it comes to this, it seems.” He winked at her, and she felt lighter. “Are you okay?”  
She reached across the tray to steal the apple and smiled softly at his question. “I’m okay.”  
He nodded in response and sipped his tea thoughtfully. “Good,” he said, reaching for a piece of bread.  
“Usually your interrogations involve more questions.”  
“Oh don’t worry, I have more questions for you. But as you’ve already pointed out, you won’t be helpful in answering anything about your current...predicament.”  
“Thanks.” She smiled sheepishly. “So how was practice today?”  
With that, he launched into a detailed recounting of their escapades in the training tower. They were mostly finished with the food when he started up his endless questions. “So this Dimitri definitely wasn’t as far into the year as I was. Edelgard either. Do you think that means anything?”  
“I honestly wouldn’t know. It seems pretty random. It’s a good thing that they were earlier though. Might actually give me a chance.”  
“A chance?”  
She smiled at him. “I’m sure it’s no mystery to you that I am emotionally invested in the heroes. But did you think your salvation was my only goal?”  
“You really think they’ll be friends?”  
Lost in her thoughts, she blew on her cold tea. “I have to think it. They’ve both been hurt so much in their young lives. The same tragedies ripping them apart. If they just talked to each other--,” she cut herself off, taking a deep, shaking breath before continuing. “I have to believe that they would see what I saw in them.”  
“What did you see?”  
Kiran winked at him. “You’ll have to wait to read the book. I’m nearly done, and I’m sure you’ll see what I do. Well, actually, I guess I can give you some information on their routes. As long as you don’t mention it to them. As I’m sure you’ll attest, it can be mad creepy when someone mysteriously knows all your secrets.”  
Claude laughed. “I do have a penchant for collecting secrets.”  
“A thing we share, my friend.” Kiran cleared her throat, realizing she had just used his post-timeskip nickname for Byleth. “Anywho, here’s their stories.”  
She recounted Edelgard and Dimitri’s main conversations with Byleth as best she could remember, and their storylines. She started with Dimitri, and she spoke of his brutality and madness. His childhood crush and how he learned to dance. The cause of the tragedy of Duscar. Edelgard’s end in that route. She moved onto the young princess, and she spoke of her own hells. The torture, the loss of her most precious memories. Her fear, isolation, and finally her ambitions, which were not so different from Claude’s. The dagger that Edelgard carried, and Dimitri’s end.  
As she finished her explanations, Claude stared at her for several moments. Finally, Kiran spoke. “So their stories are literally a tragedy.”  
“They didn’t have to be. I see what you mean.” He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “I can’t believe I didn’t know any of this.” He buried his face into his hands. “I’m supposed to be set on tearing down walls and building a better Fodlan, to build relationships, but I didn’t do anything to prevent these things from happening. I could have just as easily tried harder--to be there for either of them even and it would have been better!”  
“Claude.” Her voice was a pleading whisper.“There was no way for you to have known.”  
He took his face out of his hands and regarded her with raised eyebrows. “You don’t know that there was nothing I could have done. If I’d befriended them, actually befriended them, we could have worked together. That would have been the real way to tear down the borders. Starting from the inside out.”  
“Maybe, but there’s no way for you to know that now. Except to try here. Don’t beat yourself up over what already happened in your world. Change it here. Help me.”  
The corners of his mouth perked up. “Ha. I guess your ambitions are becoming mine now. That’s pretty clever of you.”  
“I try. You ready to head back out and join the others? If I keep you for much longer, they may accuse you of skipping out on training.”  
“Oh they knew I was bringing lunch to you, so if anything, I’ll just use you as an excuse. They wouldn’t dare accuse you of helping me skip out on anything.”  
“You act like they see me as some sort of saint.”  
He shook his head. “Again with the humbleness. You might as well be. We may be new here, but word gets around. Besides, Dimitri has been talking to your boyfriend a lot, so he’s basically obsessed with you already.”  
Kiran flushed and could barely stutter out a “he’s not my boyfriend” as Claude rose from the table.   
“Yeah, yeah. You let me know when you figure that out. Either way, you’re right about the training. Besides, this is a great opportunity for friendship.” He grabbed the tray and started walking towards the stairs before turning back to her. “That’s why you sent me off with them, isn’t it?”  
“It is. I hope it works.”  
He nodded before he left. Kiran turned back to her mostly-complete Verdant Wind. She sighed. Chapter 15 of 22. “It won’t be long now,” she thought, and she set to work.


End file.
